It looks like Japan is beginning to experience the media treatment we
got in the mid 90's when at-home dads were "discovered". Back
then, the US media was set abuzz when the US Census reported the nearly 2
million at-home dads number that was heard around the world. Japans Aera
Shimbun magazine caught the drift of the US reports and
even did a story on the trend (they used the photo at left)

Now
Japan has 3 home dad media events colliding at the same time, creating the
perfect At-Home Dad media storm.

1.
Japan's
report from the
Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry
stating "The
number of househusbands entitled to receive the same benefits as their
female counterparts has doubled since fiscal 1996 to 80,108 in fiscal
2003" The Japan Times has a piece
where they note of slight signs of emerging social flexibility over
gender roles, quoting from an yet to be released government report,
(it's coming out in June) saying the number of working women was set to
rise sharply by 2020 and that "househusbands will become less unusual"
around that time.

2.A new TV show titled At-Home
Dad (mmm sounds familiar) featuring two at-home dads one
unemployed and the other a veteran dad.

Miki: Say, I hear the husband next door is quite a guy. He's a
homemaker.Kazuyuki: Huh? The man next door? You mean he's a male homemaker?Miki: Yes. I hear the wife is doing quite well in her job, so the husband
quit his job and became a homemaker.Kazuyuki: He quit his job? Doesn't he have any pride as a man?Miki: Hey. People all have their different circumstances.

3.A book titled "Shufu no Tashinami" as reported here
The title means Wisdom of Househusbands; it is described as a "handbook for
househusbands." (that sounds familiar
too!)

What took my interest was this
quote from same Japan Times above from an expert on child-care issues,
she
believes that the TV drama became popular because it showed a married couple's
lifestyle that goes"half a step ahead of the times." Is
the show a precursor of things to come in Japan?

The best expert I could find to
answer this question was Casey Spencer of the LA
Playgroup. He hadn't seen the At-Home Dad show but had a chance to visit Japan with his
family for a few years and has offered me his "crude first take on the
subject:"

In my opinion, Japanese TV shows play on crudeness and exaggeration.
"Travel shows" are an example: overly enthusiastic, chatty actors
visit a hotel or restaurant, tour the grounds, and interview chef ? then gorge
themselves in graphic close-up shots with all of the munching, slurping
and food-dribbling that bad taste will allow.

I think the dad TV show will appeal to Japanese women, who get great mileage out
of complaining that their husbands never do anything around the house ? a
stereotype that is well-earned, at least by past generations. Then again, the
same women raise their sons to be spoiled, dependent, helpless babies who
naturally grow up needing ongoing care & feeding. A favorite (but only
quietly repeated) phrase among women is, "A good husband is healthy
and absent."

I will agree that the current crop of Japanese mothers want more of what they
see as the American dream ? freedom from stereotypical roles. and more social
and economic equality - - - which will demand that men pitch in more than one or
two begrudging hours per week.

If the show is actually a kindly one, it could possibly teach Japanese fathers a
thing or two. They DO want to be closer to their kids, to teach their
children hands-on skills and ways to cope, but most of the role models
were away at work 70 hours per work so there is no model. And the moms
cleverly get in the way of Daddy taking over their sacred turf - - - even as
they grumble that he can't iron a shirt or open his own beer can.